Unitary bib and tissue dispenser



R. R. TONKENS ETA]. 2,651,039

UNITARY BIB AND TISSUE DISPENSER Sept, 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 26, 1952 J S R H m m f n 0 m n Sept. 8, 1953 R. R.ITONKENS ET AL 2,651,039

UNITARY BIB AND TISSUE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Patented Sept. 8, 1953 UNITARY BIB AND TISSUE DISPENSER Rosalie R. Tonkens, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Arthur N. Gunther, Grand Rapids, Mich. said Gunther assignor to said Tonkens Application February 26, 1952, Serial No. 273,384

2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to garments for children and specifically to "a novel and improved bib particularly appropriate for wear by babies and children of tender age.

This invention is broadly devoted to the objective of saving steps for mother. Parents, educators and custodians of small children are well aware of their universal tendency to spill milk, eggs, soup, and to permit foodstuffs to fall and to allow saliva to flow onto their clothing. This characteristic of young children has created the need for the conventional bib, an outer garment, not Worn primarily for dress or for coverage against the elements, but for protection of the dress garments against moisture and accumulations of food and the like. The primary functions of the bib are to reduce the tremendous volume of laundry required by babies, a matter of which all parents, particularly the mothers, are Well aware. However, the adoption of the cotton bib only substituted the heavy laundering of bibs for that of inner garments until smooth-surfaced plastic materials and the like became generally available. The parent was then able to wipe off the bib at frequent intervals and to reduce the number of laundering operations required.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a unitary bib and bib-supported compartment for the storage and dispensing of readily availale disposable absorbent tissues.

The advantages of the unitary bib and tissue storage compartment provided by the invention are:

First, it saves many steps the busy mother would otherwise have to take in noting a spilling casualty; then searching the premises for the supply of tissues, if any, and finally wiping the bib after the food and moisture have likely fallen down the bib onto the lower inner garments;

Second, it attaches the supply of tissues to the baby, for whose service they are intended, and does not leave the supply freely available for misplacement, loss and diversion by adult members of the household;

Third, it serves as a constant reminder when replenishment of the supply is necessary;

Fourth, it encourages habits of self-reliance in that the baby can be taught to wipe off his bib on his own initiative;

Fifth, by facilitating cleanliness and sanitation, it functions as an aid to good health.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bib formed with an integral tissue-containing pocket, said pocket having an aperture through which one or more pieces of tissue may be Withdrawn as desired, for purposes of wiping the bib or face of the baby or otherwise serving his comfort.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a childs bib made of plastic material, said bib comprising a body portion provided with a spaced transversely extending front wall at the lower portion thereof, the ends of said wall being secured to the lower front of the bib, while the top of said front wall is free, thereby to form an upwardly opening trough, and a pocket for disposable tissues secured to the front surface of the front wall of said trough, said pocket for the tissues being provided with a horizontally exten-ding aperture for the ready removal of said tissues.

For a better. understanding of the invention, together with other and further objects, advantages and capabilities thereof, reference is made to the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which there is disclosed in detail a preferred illustrative form of unitary bib and tissue-storagev device in accordance with the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the unitary bib and bib supported tissue storage compartment, shown in normal position as worn by a child;

' Fig. 2 is a front view of the unitary bib and bib supported storage compartment, as laid out flat, ready for wear;

Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are sectional views taken along the section lines 3--3, 4l and s t, respectively, Fig. 5 being identical to Fig. i in respects other than the showing of a tissue being dispensed.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a bib generally indicated by the reference numeral l0, made of a suitable soft pliable plastic material with a smooth water repellent finished surface. The main or front portion of the bib comprises a protective apron ll of generally rectangular outline with stitched margins, as shown. Integrally secured to the apron are wings l2 and [3 which are turned back over the shoulders of the wearer to form integral shoulder embracing sleeves, the wings being secured to the backside of the apron as by strings, it, it, in conventional fashion or as by snap fasteners as shown in the co-pending patent application of Rosalie R. Tonkens, entitled Unitary Bib and Tissue Dispenser, Serial No. 200,143, filed in the United States Patent Office on December 11, 1950. A semi-circular cut-out I6 is formed at the top 3 of the bib and a neck encircling band is in effect formed by the stitched margin of this cut-out and the continuing inner margins l1 and [8 of the wings.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a bib supported compartment, secured to a crumb catching pocket, for the storage of readily available. disposable absorbent tissues. Such tissues are frequently sold on the market in pocket fold packages, many of which provide twenty-four tissues in twelve pullsj" In the specific embodiment shown, the tissue is dispensed from a pocket-like compartment 2,3. Secured by its ends to the lower to; (i bi fine apron II is a strip 24 of suitable material bonded and stitched to the bib atthe sidemargins 2i and 22. The strip preferably integral and continuous with apron II and formed byturning upwardly the lower portion thereof. The pocket 23 is preferably stitched at 25 t0 the stitched top edge 26 of the crumbcatchingcompartinent so formed by the 'front wall '24 andthe'apron ll This pocket 23 which conforms substantially in shape to that or the package oftis'siies is a'pere tured at 30 to provide access to 'a package of tissues 3|, which package is disposed in the pocket 23 with its width dimension extending upwardly. The package is also slit to provide an aperture in registry with the aperture 39 thereby to provide ready access 'to thesupply of tissues so that 'an individual pull 32 may be manually withdrawn when the need for it is observed. The normal'operation of the invention will be well understood jromthe foregoi Statement of its objects and the description of its construction. The bib andpocket are preferably made of like material. The back of the. pocket may be heat-sealed to the wall 24 if desired.

Thus it will be seen that the invention provides a childs bib 01 plastic materialysaid 'bi'b comprising a body portion 1 I provided with "a spaced transversely extending front wall 24'at the lower portion thereof, the ends of said wall being secured to the side margins 2| and 2210f said bib, the top edge of said front wall being free to form an upwardly extending trough 33, extending all the way across the lower front portion of the bib, there being a pocket 23 for disposable tissues secured to the front of said trough forming wall, said pocket for the tissues 3| being provided with a transversely extending aperture 30 for ready removal of said tissues.

Having fully described and disclosed the invention, we claim:

1. A childs bib made of plastic material, the said bib comprising a body portion provided with an upturned lower margin to form a transversely extending front wall at the lower portion thereof, a fold being made by the continuous lower edges of said margin and of the remainder of said body portion, the ends of said margin being Secured to the said fidges of said body portion ete the attachment of margin and body I h g top ojsaid wall is free, thereby to form an upwardly opening trough; and a pocket for disposable tissues secured centrally to the front of said front wall, said pocket for the tissues being provided with a. horizontally extending aperture for the ready removal of said tissues to facilitate their use on the wearer. I

v 2. 'A'childsbib made of plastic material, the said bib comprising a body portion provided with a spaced transversely extending front wall having a bottom edge secured integrally to the bottom edge of "said body portion, the ends of said wall being's'ecured to the side edges 0f said body portion while the top edge of said front wall "is free to form an upwardly opening trough extending all the way across the lower front portion of the bib; and a. pocket for disposable tissues to be used on the wearer secured to the front ot said trough-forming 'wall, said pocket for the tissues being provided with a transversely extending aperture for ready removal of said tissues.

'ROSALIE R. TONKENS. ARTHUR 'N. GUNTHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number, Name Date 2,518,357 Miles Aug. 1950 2,563,420 Roe Aug. 7, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number, 1 Country Date 532,054 France ..7.'.. Nov. 7, 1921 

